This invention is directed to a biopsy set, and particularly a tissue biopsy set which includes a plurality of punches and two handles which can pick up a selected punch, and a probe to remove the tissue from the punch.
In the prior art, tissue biopsy punches in the form of circular cutters have been mounted on a base with the cutting edges unprotected and facing upward. Each punch needed to be removed; for example, by the sterile gloved surgeon, and thereupon the sharp punch could be attached to its handle.
The exposed cutting edge both risked damage to the edge and risked the cutting of the surgeon's glove. When attachment to the base was by screwthread, occasionally the punch was screwed too tight to the base, possibly by sterilization thermal cycling, so that removal became very difficult. Thus the prior tissue biopsy punches have been less than fully satisfactory because of the risk of damage to and by the cutting edges and the handling of the handle and punches in preparation for tissue biopsy use.